The instant invention relates to slidable doors and more particularly to a track and latch assembly for guiding the lower end of a slidable door during sliding movement thereof between open and closed positions, and for firmly and tightly securing the door so that it is positioned in snug engagement with an adjacent wall when the door is located in either the open or closed positions.
The use of slidable door assemblies for various applications, including the use thereof in various types of vehicles, has been known for a number of years. In most cases, slidable doors have been slidably supported adjacent the upper ends thereof from upper trackways or the like so that they are easily slidable between open and closed positions. Various types of lower guides or trackways have been used in combination with upper trackways for guiding the lower ends of doors and for positioning them in open and closed positions. However, one problem which has been experienced with many of the known slidable door assemblies has resulted from the fact that they have utilized guides and trackways which have held doors rather loosely, even when they are in the open and closed positions. This has presented a particular problem with slidable door assemblies used in vehicles where a door must always be firmly held during movement of a vehicle in order to prevent rattling. Unfortunately, however, virtually all of the slidable door assemblies of the above type heretofore available for use on vehicles, including trucks and the like, have been deficient in this respect and therefore substantial door rattling has been a continual problem with virtually all of the slidable door assemblies of this general type which have been used on vehicles.
While the problem of providing an effective slidable door assembly has been addressed on a number of occasions, the heretofore available slidable door assemblies have not adequately addressed the problem of door rattling. In this regard, disclosures relating to slidable door assemblies which represent the closest prior art to the instant invention of which the applicant is aware are found in the U.S. patents to LEHNERT, U.S. Pat. No. 86,675; KEISER et al, U.S. Pat. No. 1,092,108; LIENIZ, U.S. Pat. No. 1,414,783; GILPIN, U.S. Pat. No. 1,461,035; BUSSE, U.S. Pat. No. 2,167,707; TAYLOR, U.S. Pat. No. 3,337,995 and JOHNSON, JR., U.S. Pat. No. 3,562,956. While these references relate generally to various types of slidable door assemblies, some of which include means for securing doors in open and/or closed positions, they do not teach a slidable door assembly which includes a track and latch assembly for securing and positioning a slidable door in the manner of the track and latch assembly of the instant invention. More specifically, they do not teach a track and latch assembly which is operative for positioning the lower end of a slidable door so that it is in snug engagement with an adjacent wall when the door is in either of the open or closed positions thereof. Hence, the disclosures of the above references are believed to be of nothing more than general interest with respect to the novel track and latch assembly of the instant invention.
The track and latch assembly of the instant invention provides a unique means for securing and positioning the lower end of a slidable door so that it is in snug engagement with a wall adjacent the door when the door is in either of the open or closed positions thereof, but so that the lower end of the door is spaced outwardly from the wall when the door is located in an intermediate position between the open and closed positions thereof to permit the lower end of the door to slide freely. The track and latch assembly of the instant invention is operable in a sliding door assembly of the type wherein a door of the assembly is slidably supported adjacent the upper end thereof from a wall so that it is movable between open and closed positions, and wherein the door is at least slightly outwardly pivotable about an axis adjacent the upper end thereof for moving the lower portion of the door slightly outwardly and away from the wall. The track and latch assembly of the instant invention comprises a track which is mounted in fixed relation with respect to a wall adjacent the lower end of a door and a latch assembly which is mounted on the door so that a latch element of the assembly is substantially vertically disposed, the latch element being downwardly biased so that the lower end thereof is received in the track. Accordingly, the track and the latch element cooperate to fix the lower end of the door when the door is in either of the open or closed positions thereof and also to fix the lower end of the door when the door is in various intermediate positions therebetween. The track is formed so that it extends inwardly toward the wall at the opposite ends of the track so that the track and the latch element cooperate to position the door in snug engagement with the wall when it is in either of the open or closed positions thereof. When the door is in an intermediate position between the open and closed positions thereof, the track and latch assembly cooperate to position the door so that the lower end thereof is spaced outwardly slightly from the wall to permit the door to slide freely. Accordingly, when the door is moved from either of its open or closed positions, the lower end of the door is first moved outwardly slightly with respect to the wall and then the door is advanced along the track so that the lower end of the door is maintained in slightly outwardly spaced relation to the wall. In the preferred embodiment of the track and latch assembly of the instant invention, the track comprises an elongated main portion which extends in substantially parallel relation to the lower end of door in outwardly spaced relation to the wall and a pair of track end portions which extend arcuately inwardly from the main portion toward the wall. The track end portions preferably have upwardly facing inner surfaces which are upwardly inclined in directions generally toward the wall, terminating in locking surfaces which generally face the wall. Accordingly, when the door is moved so that it approaches either of the open or closed positions thereof, the latch element is urged upwardly although it nevertheless cooperates with the track to guide the lower end of the door inwardly toward the wall until the door is in snug engagement with the wall. When the door reaches a position of engagement with the wall, the downwardly biased latch element drops past the inner end of the adjacent upwardly inclined surface and passes downwardly along the adjacent locking surface to retain the door in snug engagement with the wall. Further, the track end portions are preferably formed so that the upwardly inclined surfaces and the locking surfaces thereof cooperate to define substantially sharp locking edges at the inner ends of the track end portions, and the latch element is formed with an outwardly facing bevelled surface on the lower portion thereof. As a result, when the door is moved inwardly towards the wall so that the latch element drops past the end of the adjacent inclined surface, the bevelled surface of the latch element engages the adjacent locking edge to provide a camming effect for urging the latch element inwardly and thereby further urging the door into snug engagement with the wall.
Although the track and latch assembly of the instant invention can be used in various types of door assemblies, it has been found to be particularly effective for slidable door assemblies used in vehicles, particularly in interiors of vehicles such as trucks, vans and the like. In this regard, small trucks and vans frequently have interior partitions which separate the cab areas thereof from the load carrying areas thereof. It is frequently desirable to have doorways in these partitions; and frequently, due to limited space accommodations, slidable door assemblies are the only types of door assemblies which are practical for closing these doorways. Since the slidable door assemblies which are used in applications of this type are necessarily mounted in relatively close relation to the cab areas of these vehicles, and therefore close to the driver and passenger areas thereof, the problem of door rattling becomes even more acute. The track and latch assembly of the instant invention provides an effective solution to this problem by providing a means whereby the lower end of an interior slidable door can be maintained substantially rattle-free when it is in either of the open or closed positions thereof.
Accordingly, it is a primary object of the instant invention to provide a track and latch assembly for a slidable door which is operative for firming securing the door when it is in either of the open or closed positions thereof.
Another object of the instant invention is to provide a track and latch assembly which is operable for guiding and positioning the lower end of a slidable interior door of a vehicle so that the door is maintained substantially rattle free when it is in either of the open or closed positions thereof.
Another object of the instant invention is to provide a track and latch assembly for a slidable door which is operative for positioning the lower end of the door so that it is in snug engagement with an adjacent wall when the door is in either of the open or closed positions thereof but so that the lower end of the door is spaced outwardly from the wall when it is in an intermediate position between the open and closed positions thereof.